At 22, Carlos Alcaraz is eyeing another historic feat. The Spaniard is on course to win back-to-back Channel Slams after winning the French Open in 2024 and 2025 and clinching the Wimbledon Championships last year. Being the defending champion and in red-hot form, Alcaraz is the favorite out there. However, he wouldn’t want to take things for granted as he faces some stern challenge early on in the form of Italian tennis veteran Fabio Fognini.

The 38-year-old will be making his final appearance at the Wimbledon Championships, and it will surely be an emotional moment for him, having given his all to the sport over the years. He will be retiring after the end of this season and would want to end his campaign on a high at Wimbledon.

Fabio Fognini’s illustrious career

Fognini came off the junior ranks and turned pro in 2004. However, at the beginning of his professional career, Fognini played consistently in the Futures and Challenger events. He even won his first Futures title in 2005, paving the way to his entry on the big stage. Soon after, he made his ATP debut in Buenos Aires and played the very first match against Carlos Moya, which ended in a losing cause for Fognini. Nonetheless, it was an enriching experience for Fognini, and he continued his rise.

The year 2007 proved to be a turning point in his career when he made it to the top 100 and even made his Grand Slam debut that year. Subsequently, Fognini had a steady rise on the back of consistent displays but had to wait for more than five years to lift his first trophy on the ATP Tour. Back in 2013, Fognini won his first title in Stuttgart and followed it up with another win the next week in Hamburg. He also entered the ATP top 20 that year.

While much of his time went to focusing on his singles game, Fognini’s biggest successes actually came on the doubles front. In 2015, he teamed up with Simone Bolleli to win the Australian Open doubles title. Fognini even played a part in Team Europe’s success at the 2019 Laver Cup. The same year, he won his biggest singles title at the Monte-Carlo Masters. On the personal front, Fognini is married to fellow Italian tennis player Flavia Pennetta, and the two are parents to three kids.

However, with age, Fognini’s injury issues began piling up. Over the past few years, he has experienced numerous injury setbacks, such as ankle and foot injuries. With his best clearly past him, Fognini ultimately made up his mind to retire after the 2025 season.

Fognini bids emotional farewell to home crowd

With injuries and some inconsistent performances taking a toll on his career, Fognini has dropped out of the top 100 of the ATP rankings. At 38, the Italian star felt that he couldn’t continue beyond this season and ultimately dropped the bombshell at the Italian Open this year. Fognini bid an emotional farewell to the local crowd after losing in the opening round and even hinted at quitting the sport after this year.

He revealed, “Thank you, Rome. It’s been a beautiful journey. It ends here, but I’m not retired yet. I’ll keep playing until the end of the year. Like everything, there’s a beginning and an end. I think you can remember me as the guy who did things with passion, who sometimes made big mistakes, but always apologized.”

Nonetheless, Fognini would hope to end his career on a high and notch up some big victories in the tournaments to come. And what better platform than facing the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz at the Wimbledon Championships?